Think about how you see, view, or experience a mistake or a failure. How do you typically respond? What is your initial reaction? How does your body language change? And then think about how your emotional state, mood, focus, and body language impact your performance?
While we often strive for perfection and try to avoid making mistakes, the mistakes are a part of our growth. They give us opportunities to re-evaluate our approach or technique. They give us opportunities to learn new skills. Building a growth mindset is a process of moving from seeing failure as a threat to seeing failure as a challenge to improve yourself.
Ask yourself these questions to start cultivating a growth mindset:
What can I learn from this?
When you can take a moment to reflect on what you can learn from a mistake or a failed attempt, you shift your mindset and emotional state to be prepared to take on the next opportunity.
Who can I reach out to for support in this moment?
Perfectionism often creates shame around vulnerability. Asking for help is unfortunately seen as a weakness particularly in the context of sport. A growth mindset views leaning into your support system and asking for help as a strength. Think about a person who has been supportive in the past and reach out to them.
What have I done before that was effective to keep moving forward?
When you reflect on a time that you have overcome a challenge or developed a skill that you previously had never attempted successfully, you can identify ways that you were able to keep moving forward. Was it helpful to watch video of your technique to make appropriate changes? Was journaling helpful. Did you mentally reset through utilizing a mental skill? Did you take a deep breath before starting again?
What is one step forward I can take in this moment?
At times, the fear of failure becomes so overwhelming and can lead to a fear based paralysis. Breaking down the task, skill, or performance into smaller steps can be helpful in moving forward.
How can I inspire someone else today?
Shifting to focusing your attention on how you can inspire someone else can help you shift from fear of failure to motivation to keep moving forward. Can you be an inspiration for your teammates, for your younger sibling or cousin?
What do I need to prepare myself to learn something new today?
When you can identify how you best prepare yourself to learn something new, you can mentally prepare yourself to have a new experience during the next practice, training session, game, or performance. Do you listen to music that helps you feel calm and grounded, or music that energizes you before the game? Do you identify process goals to help you identify your focus for the next training session? Do you need to take a deep breath or engage in another mental skill before attempting a skill?